Sacred Heart loses defensive struggle

Wednesday

Feb 24, 2010 at 12:01 AMFeb 24, 2010 at 4:06 PM

SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Tracy Cahill scored 15 points Tuesday night but it wasn’t enough to keep the 16th-seeded Saints from losing, 37-32, to No. 17 West Bridgewater in the preliminary round of the Div. 4 South Sectional tournament.

With the game on the line, a team usually looks for senior leadership to take over and carry them to a tournament victory.

The West Bridgewater High boys’ basketball team had slim pickings, as there is only one senior on the team – Andrew Nercessian, a first-year starter.

The Wildcats got just what they were looking for in a three-minute span late in the third quarter as Nercessian scored all seven of his points to key a 9-0 run.

West Bridgewater, the No. 17 seed, went on to a 37-32 win Tuesday night over No. 16 Sacred Heart in a Div. 4 preliminary-round game.

In Thursday’s first round, the Wildcats (11-10) will play at top-seeded Westport, a team they lost to twice this year.

The Saints (10-11) had just forged the sixth tie of the game, 24-24, midway though the third quarter when Nercessian went to work. He started the run with a baseline jumper, then the next time down the court, nailed a 3-pointer.

After setting up D.J. Jamieson (10 points) inside for a basket, then capped off the run with another short jumper.

The defenses took over the rest of the game as the Saints had three baskets and the Wildcats two over the final eight minutes.

“The shots wouldn’t fall,” Sacred Heart coach Tom Reske said. “We did everything we wanted to defensively; they scored 37 points. We’re not a great offensive team, but usually most nights when you hold a team to 37 points you win.

“They took us out of our game a little bit offensively and that was the difference.”

Tracy Cahill led Sacred Heart with 15 points. In the fourth quarter, he had two of his team’s three baskets to keep the Saints within striking distance.

“We did an outstanding job on Cahill,” West Bridgewater coach Cully Ohlson said. “He’s capable of putting up points in a hurry. I thought we didn’t give him the open looks and had a hand in his face on most of his shots.”

Elsewhere in MIAA boys basketball playoffs:

DIV. 3 SOUTH SECTIONAL

Bishop Stang 69, Canton 60

The No. 21 Bulldogs (8-13) lost to the No. 12 seed in the preliminary round. Stang (12-7) advances to play at No. 5 Abington (17-3) in Thursday’s first round.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

DIV. 1 SOUTH SECTIONAL

Dartmouth 66, Braintree 51

The No. 14 Wamps (10-9) lost at home in the preliminary round. No. 19 Dartmouth (9-7) advances to play at No. 3 Whitman-Hanson (17-3) in Thursday’s first round.

IGC

Woodward 38, Chapel Hill 31

The Wildcats moved into the second round of the IGC tournament thanks to 18 points from sophomore Bryn Cousley. Eighth-grader Ava Small added 16.

BOYS HOCKEY

DIV. 3 SOUTH SECTIONAL

Ashland 2, Pembroke 1 (OT)

The 22nd-seeded Titans (10-11) fell to the No. 11 seed in the preliminary round. Ashland (13-6-2) advances to play No. 6 Blue Hills (16-6) in Thursday’s first round.

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